Stewart's music career began in 1962 when he took up busking with a harmonica. In 1963, he joined The Dimensions as a harmonica player and vocalist. In 1964, Stewart joined Long John Baldry and the All Stars before moving to the Jeff Beck Group in 1967. Joining Faces in 1969, he also maintained a solo career releasing his debut album that year. Stewart's early albums were a fusion of rock, folk music, soul music, and R&B. His third album, 1971's Every Picture Tells a Story, was his breakthrough, topping the charts in the UK, US, Canada and Australia, as did its ballad "Maggie May". His 1972 follow-up album, Never a Dull Moment, also reached number one in the UK and Australia, while going top three in the US and Canada. Its single, "You Wear It Well", topped the chart in the UK and was a moderate hit elsewhere.
After Stewart had a handful more UK top ten hits, the Faces broke up in 1975. Stewart's next few hit singles were ballads with "Sailing", off the 1975 UK and Australian number-one album, Atlantic Crossing, becoming a hit in the UK and the Netherlands (number one), Germany (number four) and other countries, but barely charting in North America. A Night on the Town (1976), his fifth straight chart-topper in the UK, began a three-album run of going number one or top three in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia with each release. That album's "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" spent almost two months at number one in the US and Canada, and made the top five in other countries. Foot Loose & Fancy Free (1977) contained the hit "You're in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)" as well as the rocker "Hot Legs". Blondes Have More Fun (1978) and its disco-tinged "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" both went to number one in Canada, Australia and the US, with "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" also hitting number one in the UK and the top ten in other countries. Stewart's albums regularly hit the upper rungs of the charts in the Netherlands throughout the 70s and in Sweden from 1975 onward.
After a disco and new wave period in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Stewart's music turned to a soft rock/middle-of-the-road style, with most of his albums reaching the top ten in the UK, Germany and Sweden, but faring less well in the US. The single "Rhythm of My Heart" was a top five hit in the UK, US and other countries, with its source album, 1991's Vagabond Heart, becoming, at number ten in the US and number two in the UK, his highest-charting album in a decade. In 1993, he collaborated with Bryan Adams and Sting on the power ballad "All for Love", which went to number one in many countries. In the early 2000s, he released a series of successful albums interpreting the Great American Songbook.
In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked him the 17th most successful artist on the "Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists". A Grammy and Brit Award recipient, he was voted at No. 33 in Q Magazine's list of the Top 100 Greatest Singers of all time. As a solo artist, Stewart was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and he was inducted a second time into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of Faces.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Stewart
Studio albums
An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down (1969)
Gasoline Alley (1970)
Every Picture Tells a Story (1971)
Never a Dull Moment (1972)
Smiler (1974)
Atlantic Crossing (1975)
A Night on the Town (1976)
Foot Loose & Fancy Free (1977)
Blondes Have More Fun (1978)
Foolish Behaviour (1980)
Tonight I'm Yours (1981)
Body Wishes (1983)
Camouflage (1984)
Every Beat of My Heart (1986)
Out of Order (1988)
Vagabond Heart (1991)
A Spanner in the Works (1995)
When We Were the New Boys (1998)
Human (2001)
It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook (2002)
As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook, Volume II (2003)
Stardust: The Great American Songbook, Volume III (2004)
Thanks for the Memory: The Great American Songbook, Volume IV (2005)
Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time (2006)
Soulbook (2009)
Once in a Blue Moon: The Lost Album (2010)
Fly Me to the Moon... The Great American Songbook Volume V (2010)
Merry Christmas, Baby (2012)
Time (2013)
Another Country (2015)
Blood Red Roses (2018)
The Tears of Hercules (2021)
Bad for You
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every word I speak
Got you on my mind
I've made love to you
And I may not be
The answer to your prayer
Give me just one night
And I'll take you there
I can read your mind
Honey I ain't blind
You want love so hard
It's no federal crime
[Chorus]
Someone's gotta tell me
That you're mine all mine
Take me to your river honey
Fracture my mind
I'll be bad for you
So very bad for you
I've got my brand on you
I'll be bad for you
When you turn around
I'll be standing there
Anywhere you go
I will follow you
Any place you walk
Any words you talk
I'll be by your side
I won't let you down
[Chorus]
I'll be bad for you
So very bad for you
I put my brand on you
I'll be bad for you
Bad for you
Listen to me
Be bad for me
Every day I wake
Every word I speak
Got you on my mind
I've made love to you
When the night gets hot
You're my only thought
Can't control myself
I'll make love to you
[Chorus]
I'll be bad for you
So very bad for you
Ain't nothin' you can do
I'll be bad for you
Bad for you
Nothing you can do
I'm so bad for you baby
I'll be bad for you baby
The lyrics of Rod Stewart's "Bad for You" showcase his desire for a woman, who may not feel the same way about him. The verses of the song depict the singer thinking of the woman consistently and expressing his desire to be intimate with her. Despite not being an actual lover, the singer feels as though he might be the answer to her prayers. He asks for a single night with her, arguing that he will take her wherever she wants to go.
The chorus of the song carries the tune's main message: the singer is bad for the woman. Stewart claims that he will fracture her mind and put his brand on her, indicating a degree of ownership. He knows that she wants passionate love, which is not a federal crime, and he feels that he is just the right man for the job. The bridge of the track repeats this message and sets Stewart up as being wholly guilty of everything he is singing about. Throughout the tune, the singer is acting like the bad boy he is considered to be, disregarding everything that any other man might tell him.
Line by Line Meaning
Every day I wake
I am always thinking of you, even from the moment that I wake up
Every word I speak
My thoughts revolve around nothing but you, with every word I speak echoing my love for you
Got you on my mind
You are the forefront of all my thoughts and emotions, constantly on my mind
I've made love to you
Although we may not have physically been together recently, the love we share is still just as strong
And I may not be
Despite my shortcomings and faults, I hope to still be everything that you need
The answer to your prayer
I hope to fulfill your dreams and desires, even if I may not be the perfect match on paper
Give me just one night
I am willing to do whatever it takes to prove my love and devotion to you, even if it's just one night
And I'll take you there
I can promise you an unforgettable experience and show you just how much you mean to me
I can read your mind
I know what you want and need, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen
Honey I ain't blind
I can see the passion and love in your eyes, and I feel the same way
You want love so hard
Your desire for love is just as strong as mine, and I am willing to fulfill that need
It's no federal crime
There is nothing wrong with wanting love and affection, and I fully support you in that
Someone's gotta tell me
I need to hear and know that you want me, that you are fully committed to me and our relationship
That you're mine all mine
I need to know that you belong to me, that you are fully committed to our relationship and our love
Take me to your river honey
I want to experience every aspect of your being, to dive deep into who you truly are
Fracture my mind
I want our love to shake me, to challenge my thoughts and break open my heart
I'll be bad for you
I will do anything and everything for your love, even if it means being wild and crazy
So very bad for you
My love for you may be intense and wild, but it's all because of how much you mean to me
I've got my brand on you
Our love is like a mark, indelibly stained on both of our hearts and souls
When you turn around
I will always be there for you, no matter what you need or where you go
I'll be standing there
No matter the distance or the obstacles, my love for you will always stand strong
Anywhere you go
I am willing to follow you to the ends of the earth, just to be by your side
Any place you walk
I will follow your lead and support you in every decision you make
Any words you talk
I will listen to every word you say, and hold each one close to my heart
I'll be by your side
I will never leave your side, and will always be there for you no matter what
I won't let you down
You can always count on me to never break your trust, and to support you in every way possible
Ain't nothin' you can do
Our love is unstoppable, and nothing can ever come between us
I'm so bad for you baby
My love may be wild and unconventional, but it's all because of how much you mean to me
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KEVIN STUART JAMES SAVIGAR, ROD STEWART, JAMES CREGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind